Boxing Officials Spar Outside The Ring Ahead of Women’s National Championship

Country's sports administrators, particularly those in boxing, have become a laughing stock if recent developments leading up to the eighth elite women's national boxing championship is taken into consideration.

India's 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games bronze medallist, Lovlina Borgohain from Assam said she is ready for the national championship starting March 21 in Uttar Pradesh. While BFI secretary general also from Assam wants the national meet to be postponed.

Incidentally, Hemanta Kumar Kalita, secretary general of BFI is backing state units that are reluctant to send their teams for March 21-27 eighth elite women's national boxing championship saying the competition should be postponed as several state units have expressed their lack of preparedness for the national competition.

The letter in possession with Mykhel has the signatures of 27 state units who wants national meet to be postponed. The boxers are confused. Lovlina told Mykhel over the phone that she contacted the BFI office to confirm whether competition is being held as per schedule. "I will be representing Assam in next week's national competition," she added.

With elections of BFI office-bearer around the corner on March 28, Ajay Singh, president BFI was in a damage control exercise and issued another letter to all the members affiliated with the BFI saying the competition is on as per scheduled.

"At least 27 state units have signed saying their teams are not ready," one of the senior officials of the state unit said. One of the officials of state units who has signed a letter stating that the national championship should be postponed by at least three months, said the national competition was unscheduled and should be conducted in a more professional way.

"The national meet should be conducted in a more organised manner and not just for a formality," the state official said. "States haven't conducted the meet to select the boxers. We need time to shortlist players for the national meet and not randomly pick anyone and send for the national meet."

The BFI office claims that several states have confirmed entries and are wondering why there is confusion over postponement of national women's championships.

"More than 25 state units have confirmed their entries for the national competition," a functionary of the BFI told Mykhel over the phone. "All necessary arrangements have been done for the smooth conduct of the competition."

Indian Railway women's boxing squad, overall winner of the previous edition of the national meet, are attending a departmental camp here in Delhi to prepare for the nationals. Jaidev Bisht, coach of the Indian Railway said he was unaware whether the national meet had been postponed.

"All are boxers are training at Delhi's Karnail Singh Stadium for the upcoming national meet in Uttar Pradesh," Bisht, Dronacharya awardee in boxing said. "It will be interesting to see whether boxers defy state officials and compete at the national competition."